Desperate Love
by soubi202
Summary: Yes, the story is back! The first seven chapters left unchanged, but the plot has been changed with many new twists and psycho friends. Love, hate, importance. Read inside the story for the true summary. S&R R
1. 1::True Feelings

**Okay, I am back!! I am SOO sorry about all the mix-up that this story has gone through! But now I'm back with the whole plot and new twists. Thank you so much to JazzyKnickers for helping me, this whole story is dedicated to you.**

**Summary : Love and hate. Hate and love. There are certain rules to them both, but for these two there is no such thing as rules. Going through a series of horrible accidents and probelms, these two will both play an important role in each others' lives. But will they make it?**

**Disclaimer : If I did own Loveless, it wouldn't be anything like it is today. Keh heh heh.**

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Ritsuka was lying stomach up on his bed, tail twitching to get out from underneath of him, ears perked up, awaiting Soubi, hands under his head with his elbows sticking out sideways, making it look like a third pair of ears. He was humming to himself as he thought.

Ritsuka's ears twitched, and he looked next to the computer. "Soubi," Ritsuka smiled, and Soubi smiled back.

"You knew I was coming," Soubi said, with a sly smile, "or maybe you were just hoping I was going to come tonight."

"I'm not going to answer that," Ritsuka said childishly, seated Indian style on his bed, making room for Soubi. Soubi took the silent invitation and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Ritsuka, do you love me?" Soubi pondered the thought.

"No," Ritsuka said flatly.

"That's a lie," Soubi scoffed.

"Yes, it is.

"But you don't care."

"Nope."

"Oh, Ritsuka, that's cold. That's really cold," Soubi looked down at his toes, face showing no expression.

"Well, maybe I care," Ritsuka said, a hint of laughter in his voice, and the older man could tell Ritsuka was playing with him. Soubi looked up at Ritsuka, "Tell me the truth, love." Soubi had a strange look in his eyes. Sadness? Ritsuka could not tell with Soubi's poker face, but he thought he could sense sadness. 'Naw,' Ritsuka thought. Soubi cocked his head to one side, staring thoughtfully at the wondering boy. "Ritsuka?"

"Wha-?" Ritsuka snapped out of his trance, his cat ears twitching. "Oh...yeah. Sorry, Soubi. Um," Ritsuka paused, scared, yet happy, about what he was going to say next. He knew Soubi loved him, and not just because Seimei told him to.

"I know what you're thinking, Ritsuka; your nose is scrunched up. I just want to hear you say it...Please," Soubi's normally grey, emotionless eyes were now dull, tired, scared, saddened. Ritsuka shivered, seeing Soubi let him in to his heart, showing him his feelings.

"S-S-Soubi," Ritsuka started, "Soubi, I...I...I love y-y-you." Soubi's eyes turned sparkly, almost sky-blue, and very, very happy. He smiled, but it didn't last long. Ritsuka blushed immensely, then realized he shouldn't. 'Why do I blush,' Ritsuka asked himself, 'whenever I'm around Soubi? Do I love him in more than my ears? In more than one way?'

"Ritsuka, thank you..." Soubi was crying softly. Ritsuka felt very uncomfortable, he had never seen Soubi cry or show any emotion besides amusement. "Soubi?" Ritsuka's voice sounded very odd.

"I'm sorry, Master," Soubi said through silent sobs. 'He's never called me master,' Ritsuka thought, 'or cried. At least not in front of me.' Soubi stood up and walked over to the corner by the computer, sliding down the wall until he was sitting in an almost fetal position. He hugged his knees up to his chin with his arms wrapped around his shins. He hid his face behind his legs and shook with silent tears.

Ritsuka started to get up, but was pushed back on the bed with Soubi's word spell. 'How can he do that? Is it possible now?' Ritsuka thought. He tried to get over to Soubi, but the word spell had him stuck to the bed like invisible glue. "Sou-"

"I'm a ghost, a lonely butterfly. My love is always illusionary, always. Seimei, Ritsuka. I'm just a lowly servant. I'm marked. I burn. I live for no reason but to fight. It's always been that way. I was born to harness power for my master. I have no soul. I have nothing," Soubi kept talking to himself, shaking the whole time. It reminded Ritsuka of how he felt sometimes.

"Soubi," Ritsuka whispered, "Soubi, Soubi? Soubi!!" Ritsuka jumped up, somehow breaking the word spell.

"No, no. He broke it with his words, no," Soubi cried. He pulled a split knife from his pocket, saying 'no' the whole time. 'I did it with my love, not my words,' Ritsuka thought.

"Soubi!! Stop it!" Ritsuka was breaking out into a teary-eyed, screaming fit. He prayed his mom had taken her pills so she wouldn't hear the two. Soubi touched the blade, cutting his finger from nail to knuckle with a smooth flick of his wrist, as if he had done it thousands of times before. Ritsuka noticed for the first time how many scars Soubi had on his hands and arms. "Soubi! No, dammit! Stop! Soubi!" Tears were streaming down Ritsuka's face. To him, it seemed like it was happening in slo-mo. Soubi staring at the bloody blade as he slowly guided it towards his chest. He carved LOVELESS on his chest one painful letter at a time. Then slowly bringing it up to his neck. He placed two, slender fingers on his neck to find his pulse, then put the tip of the blade on the spot where his fingers had just been. He carefully pushed the blade so it cut the skin. Blood trickled out of the small cut.

"No!! I don't want to see another die! I don't want to! Soubi! Stop it! I can't take it! Stop! You're not a ghost! Soubi! Soubi!!! Soubi, I love you! SOUBI!!! I LOVE YOU! NO!!" Ritsuka's screams tore straight through Soubi. 'Word spell? Ritsuka can do word spells?' Soubi thought, 'No, he can't. He is the sacrifice. Now that he is marked, he can't.' Soubi gasped as his hand stopped moving. The blade stuck into his throat, but he couldn't move it any further. He just couldn't move. Ritsuka crawled over to Soubi. "Soubi, Soubi, I love you! Please don't do this to me!" He put his head on Soubi's blood-stained shirt, tears mixing in with the metallic taste of blood. He coughed on the mixture of blood and salty tears, crying himself to sleep with Soubi sitting there, stung to the point where he couldn't move by Ritsuka's words.

Ritsuka fell asleep within the hour, Soubi still not able to move. "Maybe," Soubi whispered aloud to himself in the darkness, "Maybe it wasn't word spells. Maybe it was...it was love. Maybe..." Soubi passed out.

Ritsuka woke up very early the next morning, looking at the clock to see if the alarm was on. He got up to turn it on so he could go back to sleep, but his shirt was stuck on something sticky. He looked at his side and his jaw dropped as he remembered what had happened earlier that night.

Soubi was out cold. Ritsuka's heart started to thump loudly in his chest. He put a soft finger on Soubi's wrist to find his pulse, if he had one.

Ritsuka let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding when he found a soft, but steady, pulse. He leaned back against the dried blood on Soubi's chest and slipped out of his sweater. He stood up, shivering. Not of the cold, but of the shock. Ritsuka walked over to his closet and grabbed another sweater. He walked over to the bedside table and opened the drawer, looking for his pocket knife.

Ritsuka picked up the small knife and walked back over to Soubi. He sat down and began to pick at the dried blood between his sweater and the small piece of fabric that was stuck on part of his sweater that had once been Soubi's shirt. After about ten minutes of doing this, he finally got the two pieces apart. Ritsuka was thinking of a way to get his sweater off of Soubi to care for the wounds, but couldn't think of any way that he could do that without cutting Soubi in the process. He finally decided with getting some baking soda to rub on the crusty, maroon-colored blood.

Ritsuka was rummaging through the cabinet when he heard a thump coming from his room. He grabbed the baking soda he had just found and ran upstairs to his room.

"Soubi?" Ritsuka hadn't even reached his room and that was the first thing that came to his mind. "Soubi? Soubi?"

Ritsuka was in the doorway to his room. "Soubi! Ohmigod! Don't ever do that again! You scared me!" Ritsuka was crying at seeing his true love trying to sit up, still alive after what he had done.

Soubi smiled weakly, "Was that...an order?" he whispered.

"Yes." Ritsuka quickly walked over to the blonde-haired man and hugged him gently. "Soubi, we have to get you to a hospital so they can take that knife out. If they don't, it'll never come out." Another white-hot flash of reality raced through Ritsuka's mind, like it had when he had found Seimei dead.

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"If we do...they'll ask how it...happened. We can't...tell them it was...me. I'd be sent...to a...a mental institution...If we tell them someone else...did it...we'd have to...describe the...person and someone...innocent...would be hurt."

"What should I do?"

"Call...Kio."

"Well, only if he'll help," Ritsuka was thinking about Kio, whom he didn't really care for, taking care of his precious Soubi. "OK, Soubi." Soubi gave Ritsuka Kio's number, and asked him to come help.

"Oh shit!" Kio said as he walked into Ritsuka's room. Ritsuka was glad his mother had left before he had even woken so she'd make her flight for her trip to America to visit some relatives for the week.

"Hi to you, too, Kio," Soubi said quietly. It was surprising he could even talk.

"Sorry," Kio said, even though he and everyone else knew he didn't really mean it. Kio looked from Ritsuka, to Soubi, and then back to Ritsuka. "How did that," Kio pointed to Soubi, "happen? Somebody better start explaining or ain't pulling any damn thing out of anyone."

Soubi looked at Ritsuka with a question of truth-or-not smile. Ritsuka nodded, signaling truth. Soubi looked back at Kio and said weakly, "Ritsuka...But, it wasn't...his fault. It was...mine. My throat hurts, I can't...talk much."

Ritsuka finished for him, filling in the details. When he finished, Kio scoffed, acting tough, but in his eyes was a deep pain. 'Is he hurt for his friend, or because he has proof now that Soubi loves me?' Ritsuka was deep in thought.

"Soubi," Kio stated, trying to keep his cool, "this kid really made you do that? Does he really mean that much to you?" Soubi tried to nod. Kio continued, "Then, I guess if it's a friend who needs relationship help, then that's what I'm going to do, you silly bastard." Kio smiled.

Soubi sat up with a little help from the swivel chair near the computer. 'He's being way too nice,' Soubi thought.

"BUT DON'T DO THAT EVER THE HELL AGAIN!!!!" Kio screamed.

"I was right, he wasn't happy with this," Soubi muttered under his breath. Kio walked over, asking Ritsuka for the baking soda that he was still holding on to. Ritsuka rolled it over to Kio. Kio opened the bottle and poured some of the liquid into the cap, swirling it around as he did so. He poured the baking soda slowly onto Soubi's neck, who was now cringing through the masochistic part of him.


	2. 2::Talking For Real

**I have been sent several PMs stating that the characters are OOC. I forgot to mention that in the first chapter, and I just now noticed. Once the story is complete, the characters' OOCness will be explained.**

**On another note... Thank you guys so much for ... Yeah, well... I feel like being nice and updating it now, so here ya go.**

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Chapter 2

"You gotta towel around here, kid?" Kio asked, not taking his eyes off of Soubi. Ritsuka grabbed the white towel he always had next to his bed for Soubi in case he was wet. "Thanks," Kio stretched his hand behind him, making sure not to loose sight of Soubi. Ritsuka just sat leaning against his bed, slightly shaken up.

After half an hour scraping the blood off, Kio took some latex gloves out of his jacket pocket and slid them on like a professional. He reached into his pocket once more and took out some drop. (Morphine.) He pushed the tip of the needle into Soubi's arm and forced about ten milliliters into Soubi. 'Drugee,' Ritsuka thought, careful not to say it out loud. Kio waited a few minutes for the Morphine to start working, which didn't take as long as he waited. He took out a small sewing kit and placed it next to him. Ritsuka shuddered. Kio wrapped the towel around the edge of the knife in Soubi's neck and slowly, almost impossible to see, began to pull the knife out. Ritsuka shuddered again.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kio finally pulled the last millimeter of blade out of Soubi's neck with a crunching, sickening sound of bones crunching. Immediately, bright-red blood (that you only hear about but never believe that is what it actually looks like) started pouring from the wound again, and Kio pushed harder on the towel with one hand and picked the sewing kit up with the other. He flipped the top open and pulled out an already threaded needle. Ritsuka closed his eyes. Kio began sewing up the hole with the bloody needle along with sucking sounds from every tug, keeping extremely leaky parts covered with the stained towel.

"Done," Kio announced minutes later. Ritsuka opened his eyes and then wished he hadn't. Soubi's neck was bloody, bruised, and was hand-sewn up.

"What is that?" Ritsuka said, knowing that Soubi was out of it and wouldn't remember much later on.

"Well, you'll have to bring him to the hospital and have them stitch it up. Tell them that you had this done by a retired doctor who said it was temporary. Tell them that the doctor said to bring you here so they could rebandage him," Kio was sounding very smart at that moment, but Ritsuka knew it was just his imagination.

"OK, I'll tell them. Can you leave, now? Oh, and, take that towel with you, I can't get the stains out," Ritsuka was dying for Kio to get out of his house.

"Fine, fine, don't get all uptight. Just remember that I kept you two from getting in big trouble," Kio left with a smirk on his face and the bloody towel over his shoulder, knowing he had another win to hang over Ritsuka's face someday.

Ritsuka stood up and walked over to Soubi, who was now asleep. "I'll leave you for now, Soubi. I'm going to get you some lunch, stay right here or you'll hurt yourself." Ritsuka was talking like he'd have talked to a toddler that was kidnapped by some evil, demented person.

Ritsuka came up fifteen minutes later with two bowls of ramen noodles and a box of strawberry Pocky only to find that Soubi was still sleeping. Ritsuka shrugged and set the bowls down, letting them cool off. He opened the box of Pocky and before he knew it, had finished them off. Ritsuka put the box next to the bowls of ramen and started eating the ramen noodles. Again, before he knew it, he had finished them off. He scolded himself and then walked over to Soubi.

"Soubi?" Ritsuka said quietly, even though he always had thought that was stupid. Who's going to hear you if they're sleeping and you're whispering? "Soubi?" he said it louder. "Soubi? Wake up, you have to eat." Ritsuka shook Soubi lightly so as not to hurt him.

Soubi groaned, looking up at Ritsuka. Soubi shook his head to clear it, then smiled. "I'm...alive?" he asked, acting shocked yet playing around.

"Yeah, and you should be glad, too," Ritsuka grinned, "If you'd have killed yourself, you would have been seeing me soon in Hell, too." The two laughed at their bad sense of humor.

"Is it me...or is that a...bowl of ramen...noodles with the...chopsticks still dry and...Oh...my, God, an empty box of...Pocky Stix?? How...dare you!" Soubi joked around with the younger boy, but his voice was still weak.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. You weren't awake and they were just...well, there," Ritsuka went and got the bowl of ramen noodles, perfectly cooled. Soubi sat there in silence for a few minutes, slurping on his ramen noodles, deep in thought. Ritsuka doing the same, but without the noodles.

Soubi finished his noodles while the two were still silent. Ritsuka was the first to break the silence, "Soubi," he said, not wanting to hear the answer, "why did you do that? Why did you hurt me like that? It scared me."

Soubi didn't say anything for a few heartbeats, and when he did, his eyes were wet with the saltiness that Ritsuka had stained his shirt with last night, "I'm sorry, Ritsuka. I'm really, truly sorry."

"That doesn't explain why you did that!" Ritsuka had tears trickling down his face now. Soubi looked at the poor, cat-eared child that had once been innocent until last night. 'And it was my own fault that he doesn't have that innocence anymore. You aren't supposed to lose it until you at least lose your cat ears,' Soubi was thinking at full speed when Ritsuka waved his hand in front in Soubi's face and said, "Hello? I asked you something...In a sense. Now answer or I won't take you to the hospital to stitch you up!"

"Ritsuka, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. At first, I thought I loved your brother, but then I realized I didn't. It wasn't real. Now I love you, and I know that this one is real, because seeing you always denying it hurts me so much. That never happened with your brother. Not even once. But it happens with you all the time. A constant ache in my heart. Constant worry about you. It never stops. Even when I'm sitting right here with you, I worry you'll just die on me. Or you'll hurt me, like your brother did. He had his laughs by cutting our name on me. You've never done that. I had to do that, but not the way I did. I was being stupid, and I thought that our love was illusionary, too. But, now I see that it's not. Please, forgive me, Ritsuka, dear, please forgive a bastard like me," Soubi was crying for the second time in front of Ritsuka.

"Soubi...Do you really love me? Do you believe it's an illusion? Do you really, truly love me?" Ritsuka's voice went from sounding strange to a whisper.

"Ritsuka, in my heart, I feel like I love you. I know I love you. I believe that I love you. I know it's not an illusion, but somehow, I can't believe it. I know, I just can't believe. I'm sorry, Ritsuka. Truly, I am," Soubi finally admitted his feelings to Ritsuka in words.

"Soubi?" Ritsuka said, putting what Soubi called 'cuteness' into his voice so he would get the honest-to-God truth. Soubi stopped eating and looked up at the cat-eared boy. "Soubi, where did all those scars come from?"

"What scars?" Soubi tried to hide the nervousness in his voice.

"Soubi..." Ritsuka put his head down, ashamed of his boyfriend.

"You," Soubi said, turning into his morbid, poetry-like personality that came up on the random occasion.

"What the hell do you mean, it came from me?"

"The black serpent...beckons to...you, calling you...into its...home. It waits patiently...day and night, night...and day, for you...to come...join it in Hell...It acts as though...you are superior...it acts as...though it is...innocent. But in...reality, it in itself...is Hell, personally...inviting you...into...its humble home...Yet, it does...not know this, for...it is still...too innocent...to realize...what it shows to you...and what doors it...opens to...you and what doors...it closes to you...It is still...too innocent...to understand...You stand there, knowing...what lies ahead. And...you walk...to it, to...your end. Not...caring what awaits...as long as...they both...live. Eternity sucking them...up into...a never-ending black...void of...pain. But...it was your choice, all...yours; you...have chosen this...You have made...your path."

"Morbid..." Ritsuka whispers, trying to understand what Soubi just said. Soubi just grunts. "Oh!" Ritsuka snaps his fingers. "I don't know what you just said or what it means, but I do know why you have the scars!"

"Oh?" Soubi said, not really to Ritsuka, more to himself.

"When-when you were talking about me denying our love, your eyes. Soubi, your eyes were so sad, so pained. Like they were last night. Sad, scared. It was me, wasn't it? It was all my fault, wasn't it, Soubi? Wasn't it? I wouldn't believe our love, and it hurt you. Soubi, I hurt you. I hurt you worse than my brother, didn't I? Soubi, didn't I? I didn't hurt you like you hurt yourself, I hurt you so you hurt yourself. Soubi, it was me, wasn't it, Soubi? It was all me, all me..."Ritsuka cried, realizing what he had been doing to the man he loved. Soubi patted the carpet next to him, and Ritsuka sat down.

"Ritsuka..." Soubi looked at Ritsuka out of the corner of his eyes, his neck hurting too much to turn it. "Ritsuka, you...you didn't know...Ritsuka...


	3. 3::Meeting Haneim

**This chapter enters my OC, Takerio Haneim. Since I've made him, he's changed a lot. Also, when I made him, I wasn't aware of the Japanese pronunciation. So his name is pronounced in Japanese pronunciation Ta-Ki-Ri-Oh Ha-Nim. Sorry about the mix-up there! Enjoy the chapter! Although it is one of the crappier ones**

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Chapter 3

Ritsuka's back ached from carrying Soubi almost a mile, and it was still four more to the hospital. Since Soubi was out cold and Ritsuka couldn't drive yet, the young twelve year old was forced to carry the blonde-haired man on his back. Ritsuka was guessing that Soubi outweighed him by at least 40 pounds.

There was a slight stir on Ritsuka's back, and he knew almost immediately of Soubi's waking up by the harsher, not as steady breathing on his neck.

"Soubi? Are you okay? You're breathing's really sketchy," Ritsuka turned his head as far as it would go without breaking it or smacking into Soubi's at the same time. All Ritsuka got back was a small grunt from the dull body on his back. Soubi coughed and said, "Too much blood loss...but...I'll be fine...I think...you can put me...down. I'll try to...walk."

"Well, only if you let me help you," Ritsuka said hesitantly, slowly putting Soubi on the ground. He took Soubi's arm that was close to his and lifted it over his head and onto the opposite shoulder, helping the limping Soubi shuffle his way along.

_Thud. _Ritsuka falls over along with Soubi, whose legs just buckled underneath of him. "Soubi!" Ritsuka gets up from the frozen body he had just been laying on top of a few minutes ago. Soubi wasn't breathing.

Ritsuka was panicking, trying to think of what to do. He didn't want someone else he loved, someone else you helped him, someone else whom he could trust, someone else to die. Ritsuka looked around him, seeing if there was anybody around that could help him. There was an elderly guy standing in the alley, smoking. There was a woman who looked too old to be wheeling the baby boy around in the stroller she had. There was a man who looked only a few years older than Soubi riding around on a bike, dressed in a black leather jacket, worn-out jeans, and a green shirt. Ritsuka decided on asking the younger, more muscular of the three on his bike to help him. "Sir, excuse me. Sir? Can you help me out here?"

"What is it- Oh, my God!" The man pedaled over to Ritsuka and Soubi as soon as he saw the blonde lying on the ground. He jumped off his bike and hurried over to Soubi. He placed two fingers gently on Soubi's collarbone, trying to find his pulse. "Young boy, is this your friend?"

"Yes, sir," Ritsuka said. "His stitches were coming loose and I needed to take him to the hospital, but he wasn't feeling too good and I had to carry him. But, now he just stopped...He just stopped breathing," Ritsuka was trying to keep tears from falling.

"Well, I might be able to help," The man said. He pulled something small and flat out of his small backpack. He tore it open and unfolded a little square of cloth and plastic. He placed it over Soubi's mouth and pulled a little tab on the side.

"What is that?" Ritsuka asked.

"It's something like the oxygen masks at hospitals. I'm in college going for a doctorate in medicine. I plan to be a doctor when I graduate," The man smiled, "I'm really glad that I decided to keep this handy little thing with me. Oops, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Takerio Haneim."

Ritsuka smiled back at the man, "Hi, I'm Aoyagi Ritsuka. My friend over here," Ritsuka pointed to Soubi and his smile faded, "is Agatsuma Soubi."

"Just for medical reasons, what is your relationship to this man?"

Ritsuka's plain face turned very tight with frustration. "Um, well, my mom is very, abusive. Well, um, Soubi here just checks on me every so often and helps treat my wounds if they're bad." The other man frowned slightly, but quickly shrugged it off.

"Well, Ritsuka, was it? Would you like me to help you get him to the hospital?" the man asked politely, making sure not to interfere incase Ritsuka didn't want his help.

"Yes, if you have time," Ritsuka took the man's offer and went to help pick Soubi up.

"No, you don't have to help. I can get him," the man said, gently picking up Soubi and placing him on the back of his bike. "Oh, my God! Did you just say Aoyagi?"

"Yes, why? Is something, er, wrong?" Ritsuka was starting to wonder about Haneim.

"You were," Haneim's eyes bugged out, "You were Seimei's brother?"

"Yes..." Ritsuka looked down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"It's okay," Ritsuka said, "I get that...A lot."

Ritsuka and Haneim sat on the bike, careful to keep Soubi comfortable, even though he wasn't really awake.

When they got to the hospital, Haneim ran straight in and said to the lady at the ER desk, "We have a man here who isn't breathing and has a severe neck wound. Get him a room immediately!" The lady's eyes opened wide, and she nodded, yelling directions to a man behind a curtain.

The man came out and scurried over to Soubi, picked him up and placed him on a stretcher, and rushed him into a curtained room. Haneim walked over to Ritsuka and said, "It's okay, he should be stable soon. Don't worry, okay? They'll take care of him."

Ritsuka looked up and then back down. His hand reached into his pocket where his cell phone was. 'Should I call,' Ritsuka thought, 'or not? I may regret this, but he is the only fighter I know...Ah! What the hell am I thinking? I can do this, can't I? I have to at least try.' "Okay," Ritsuka said to the other man. "I believe you...For know, though."

Haneim smiled, "That's good enough for me. Well, I need to go, but here's my cell number. Call me when your friend wakes up!" And with that, he walked out of the door. 'He sounds so,' Ritsuka was having trouble believing Haneim, 'He sounds so sure of himself, that I almost believe him, but...But I have to try. If I could stop Soubi before from dying, I might be able to stop him now.'

"Excuse me," Ritsuka walked up to the lady at the desk, "but I think I might be able to help them treat the man who just went in. He's my friend, and sometimes he gets carried away with, well, thinking he isn't supposed to be here. Um, what I'm trying to say is that, I might be able to tell the people that are helping my friend some, er, tips." The lady nodded slowly, and led Ritsuka into the room Soubi had been taken into.

"This boy here," the lady said to the six men crowded around Soubi, "says he has a few tips to help you. He seems sure of himself, and this man over here seems to mean a lot to the little one. Please, let him help." The man who seemed to be the doctor nodded, and took Ritsuka over to the table.

"Hello," the doctor said. "What do you think would help?"

Ritsuka cursed himself for doing what he was about to attempt, but knew it was the only way. He just hoped the doctors didn't think he was crazy.

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**So, how do you like it? Well, I'm not going to know unless you review. Hopefully, once this story picks up the _real _pace, you guys will be throwing reviews at me like poorly-written stories in the fire. () Thank you for reading!**


	4. 4::A Twist To Come

**Oh, I didn't know that this was the chapter where the box comes in... Just goes to show you how pathetic I can be sometimes... Anyway, thank you for the very few reviews... I suppose it helps a bit. But I have no motivation. Anyhoodlies, here's Chapter 4. I really like the cliffhanger of the last chapter, heh heh**

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Chapter 4 

"Um...well," Ritsuka was trying his hardest to get the words out, but he couldn't. He was saved by the ringing of his cell phone. "I'll be right back," Ritsuka said to the doctors. He walked through the curtains and into the waiting room.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Ritsuka-kun! Whatch'ya doing? It's Yuiko!" Yuiko sounded like her perky self even over the phone.

"I'm busy," Ritsuka sighed, deciding not to tell Yuiko about Soubi.

"Busy?" Her voice calmed down just a tad.

"Yes, I'm busy," Ritsuka rolled his eyes.

"Where are you? You don't sound too good,"

"I'm at the hospital, okay?" Ritsuka was tired and getting aggravated.

"Oh, no. Why are you at the hospital?" Yuiko's voice went soft.

"It's none of your business,"

"Do you want me to come down there? What happened, Ritsuka-kun?"

"It's none of your business!" Ritsuka punched the off button and put the phone back around his neck. 'She can be so damn nosey,' Ritsuka thought. He went back into the curtained room and had to close his eyes when he looked inside. He couldn't stand to see Soubi so helpless. Soubi was always solitary. "Never mind," Ritsuka said to the doctor. "I don't think it will work anymore." He walked out to the waiting room again and sat down. 'Why would it work?' he thought. 'I'm just the sacrifice. I can't do word spells. Soubi does that.'

After a few minutes, Ritsuka stood up and went outside. He looked at his cell phone and decided to call Yuiko.

"Hello?" Yuiko said. "Who is it?"

"Hi. It's-" Ritsuka didn't even have to say it was him.

"Ritsuka-kun! Ohmigosh! Are you alright? What happened?" Yuiko immediately jumped back to what had made Ritsuka hang up on her before.

Ritsuka didn't say anything.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ritsuka-kun. Yuiko didn't mean to do that again," her voice was a little quiet.

"Stop saying Yuiko, it's dumb," Ritsuka frowned. Yuiko didn't answer.

"Yuiko..." Ritsuka sighed and neither of them said anything for a few minutes.

"Ritsuka-kun, I have to go. Bye! See you at school tomorrow!" Yuiko hung up.

'Damn,' Ritsuka thought, 'I have school tomorrow. I can't just leave Soubi the way he is. I can't leave him alone again.' Ritsuka shuffled home.

When he reached his house, Ritsuka decided to go into Seimei's room to see if there was anything he had missed about Septimal Moon, even though he knew there wasn't. He went into Seimei's room and turned the computer on. Scanning through the files, Ritsuka noticed he hadn't checked Seimei's e-mail in awhile. He knew there wasn't going to be anything, but he decided to look anyway. He was surprised to see that Seimei had an e-mail. He opened it up and sighed. It was just spam. Ritsuka turned the computer off after twenty minutes and went into his room.

Ritsuka laid down on his bed stomach-down. His tail flicked back and forth, not knowing exactly where to go. 'That's weird; my mom hasn't come screaming and yelling yet. Maybe she took her pills. I hope so. I don't feel up to anything right know.' Ritsuka stayed on his bed for a few minutes and thought. He soon fell into a light sleep with only one dream about food, which was probably because he hadn't eaten anything in over two and a half days.

Ritsuka woke to his alarm clock going off. He turned over and grunted, fumbling around for the annoying little piece of technology. His hand reached something and he guessed it was the alarm clock. Knocking it over, he realized it was much too heavy to be anything close to an alarm clock. Ritsuka opened his eyes and looked over the side of his bed. It was a box, carefully wrapped in a pale green paper. His ears twitched and he picked it up.

"What's this?" Ritsuka mumbled out loud, turning the box over and over in his hands.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Please review me! Arigatou! -from Desperate Love**

**Me- Yes, my story talks. And it's saying that it's very very depressed from not being loved anymore!**

**Story- Nuh-uh!**

**Me- Grrr... (just go along with it, yo)**

**Story- Whatever. She's a nerd. A dweeb. A geek. Whatever you call those people who can type fast and love to read and are on the computer 24/7**

**Me- SHUT UP!**

**----- Anyway. I'd love to hear from my reviewers. Arigatou, and Sayounara for now! **


	5. 5::A New Enemy

**Here you go. Chappie five. I have no reviewers. No readers... I have no readers!! Ahh! My life is drizzling out of me!**

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Chapter 5

"Hmm..." Ritsuka shook the box with some effort, and decided to open it. He peeled back the wrapping paper only to find more. After tossing the last of eight layers onto the floor beside his bed, he came to a small, cardboard box. There was a piece of paper taped to it. Ritsuka unfolded the thin paper and read it.

_Ritsuka, I'm sorry if I have caused you a lot of trouble. _

"He didn't write much," Ritsuka mumbled, but immediately regretted it as a tear slid down his cheek. 'Why did he have to do that? He didn't cause me pain or anything,' Ritsuka thought, 'That's a lie. I even lie to myself about my thoughts. Why did he have to?' Ritsuka wiped the tear away. He looked at the back of the hand he had used to wipe the tear away.

Blood.

His hand was covered in blood. 'Blood?' Thoughts were running through Ritsuka's head faster than he could think them. 'Where did the blood come from? Why is there blood on my hand?' Ritsuka wiped at forehead with a small finger and it came away smeared with crimson. He stood up and went into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he noticed there were long, thin lines of crimson running down his face. "Where did that come from?" Ritsuka said out loud.

"You mean, you don't know?" A voice said from behind Ritsuka. Instinctively, Ritsuka whirled around. He was face-to-face with a girl about the same age as himself. Not an improvement. The girl had long, blonde hair with brown highlights. She had square, deep blue glasses and an almost fuchsia colored lipstick that made Ritsuka want to puke. The girl was wearing a pair of hot pink, shimmering jeans, a pale pink spaghetti strap, and a dark pink, jean jacket that touched her mid-thigh. She was grinning and showing off her bleached teeth that were speckled with lipstick.

"Who the hell are you?" Ritsuka said, a bit too loud for standing right in front of the girl.

"I'm Amiya. The girl standing behind you is Rina," Amiya said. Ritsuka's jaw dropped as he turned around and noticed another girl standing behind him, almost magically, who appeared to be Rina. Rina was wearing lime green jeans, a pale green spaghetti strap, and a forest green jacket that touched her mid-thigh. She about an inch higher than the other girl, and she looked like a copy of her, too, except in green. Ritsuka backed up and his back smacked the wall. He couldn't have gotten out if he was only an inch tall; the two girls were practically on top of him.

"I meant what do you want with me?" Ritsuka said in a shaky voice.

"Look, Amiya, we have him scared!" Rina said in a strangely girly voice, unlike Amiya's, which was deep and almost bass-like.

"Shut-up!" Amiya said to the other girl, growling. "We were ordered to take you with us, now that your fighter isn't working."

"How did you know about Soubi? And don't act like he's just a toy! He isn't! He's a living, breathing person that has feelings like everyone else!" Ritsuka said in a now steady voice.

"Oh, what have we here?" Amiya said in a mocking tone.

"What do you want with me?"

"I think he wants us to tell him," Rina said sarcastically.

"Shut-up! No one asked your opinion in this!" Amiya said.

"Just tell me what you want with me!" Ritsuka etched every word into the air.

"We already told you what we know. Now come with us or we'll be forced to do more than just a few cat scratches," Amiya said. Rina hissed. Ritsuka didn't say anything.

"Well, I guess the others were right. You are a stubborn little brat," Amiya smirked. Ritsuka's eyes widened as he looked in the mirror.

"Amiya, did we get him scared?" Rina said in a high, excited voice. Amiya didn't answer the taller girl. Instead, she took up a face much like Ritsuka's current, teasing voice, but more shocked than happy.

"Amiya?" Rina's voice went quiet, and she sounded scared. She hadn't looked anywhere except at Amiya, and she hadn't noticed the figure behind the three of them yet. "Amiya, why is Loveless grinning like that? Amiya, you're scaring me..." Rina looked at her sister's shocked expression, to Ritsuka's grinning face, and back to Amiya.

"Rina, let's go," Amiya stuttered.

"Why?"

"Rina, we aren't prepared today. We need to go get some rest," Amiya didn't sound very convincing.

"Oh, I guess you're right. I am a little tired," Rina said, yawning and still not getting the point. She grabbed Amiya's arm, turned around, and started walking. She stopped dead in her tracks, eyes widening.

"Rina," Amiya said softly. "Rina, don't say anything."

"How the hell did he survive that?" Rina yelled, "One, he should have died from attempting that because he shoved the knife in his name! Two, no human could survive that, fighter or not! And three, he passed out! He was in the hospital yesterday in what doctors were saying was a coma! That's just not possible!!!" Soubi was standing in the doorway, leaning against the wall for support. He had a navy blue sweater on and his neck was covered in bandages, stitches, dried blood, and some liquid thicker than blood that had an orange tint to it.

"Rina! Shut-up! You know you're not supposed to talk!" Amiya slumped in Rina's arm. The two had been in an awful fight the day before and were in no condition to fight. If it had been a different day, the two would have already started battling.

"Sorry, sis," Rina mumbled, holding her sister up. Ritsuka hadn't said a word. He had taken up a fetal position in the corner, sitting there staring at the sight before him. Soubi looked over at the cat-eared boy and gave a slight smile that meant something and nothing at the same time. His diamond-bladed split knife that looked oh-so forbidding now was sticking up through his hair. The knife had been put into its hilt on Soubi's back carelessly. Either that or Soubi was still too weak to put it in correctly. Ritsuka guessed on the second one.

Soubi looked back at the two girls who were holding each other up in a strange fashion and something passed behind his eyes. 'Why is Soubi scared of the two girls?' Ritsuka thought, still gaping. 'Or is it the two girls he's scared of?' Ritsuka shrugged it off for the moment and saved it for later.

"Get out," Soubi gathered up enough strength to sound tough. He knew it would frighten the girls that he was feeling better, even though he was really feeling worse.

"Okay, but-but we'll be back," Rina whimpered. Amiya was out of it and slung across the other girl's shoulder.

"Get out," Soubi repeated. Rina shuffled out of the room, dragging Amiya with her. Soubi watched them to make sure they left for good. Or at least for the day.

"Wh-who were they, Soubi? How did you get out of the hospital? They wouldn't have let you out yet," Ritsuka said quickly. "Wait, how are you even standing?"

"I'm not," Soubi said as his legs buckled underneath of him and he fell down onto the floor, his back resting against the door frame. "I think they were sent by Septimal Moon. I tricked them. I don't know," Soubi answered all three questions in order, making Ritsuka think for a minute.

"Oh. I'm worried about all three, but mostly that last one," Ritsuka said quietly. He wasn't acting like himself. Soubi must have noticed.

"Ritsuka, what's wrong?" Soubi pushed his knife in correctly, or tried to. He lowered his head, making it look like he was dead. He could've passed off as a corpse, if he had wanted to. His skin was pale and his eyes were hollow.

Ritsuka didn't answer, and instead, he shook his head. He stood up and walked over to Soubi. Putting the older man's arm across his shoulder, he lifted him up as much as he could and carefully took him to his room. He set Soubi down on his bed and Ritsuka sat down in his swivel chair, letting Soubi lie down.

* * *

**Soubi: I think she's dead.**

**Ritsuka: Serves her right...**

**Soubi: That means the sub-chapter is going to replace this entire story and plot and I'll die...**

**  
Ritsuka: ...**

**Soubi: So anyway...**

**Ritsuka: We should tell them right now why we're so OOC!**

**Soubi: No! Not that! It's only Chapter Five!!**

**Ritsuka: Feh.**

**Soubi: Um, Ritsuka...**

**Ritsuka: Ah, don't start that again! I'm sick of it!**

**Me: Ungh...**

**Soubi: Not that!**

**Ritsuka: Hmph!**

**Me: Okay. Review or Soubi dies. Rawr. **


	6. 6::A Closer Look

**Okay, look. I know I hardly have anyone reviewing. But if your desire to spoil the story gets to you, you can just e-mail me or message me and ask to know why they are OOC. A BIG HUGE THANKS to the person who's keeping me going** **_endiahna_.**

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Chapter 6

Ritsuka's eyes fluttered open, and he yawned, his eyes closing again. It was early the next morning. "Hmm?" he mumbled. There was something warm on his neck. He opened his eyes and jumped. Someone was breathing on his neck, but Ritsuka couldn't tell who it was right away.

After a minute, his eyes adjusted and he saw Soubi standing above him. "What do you want?" he muttered, then realized Soubi was still hurt and he said more calmly, "What is it?" Ritsuka didn't get an answer. At least, not a normal answer. Soubi passed out and toppled over. Ritsuka caught him before he could hit the floor. 'He's doing a lot of passing out lately,' he thought. He groaned and sat Soubi down gently in the chair, wrapping the blonde's arms around the chair so he wouldn't fall out. Ritsuka yawned, stretching, and walked over to his bed. He noticed the box still next to his bed and a spark of curiosity hit him. He went over and picked it up, but was surprised it had lost at least a couple of pounds. He shrugged and opened the box. What he saw made him fall onto his bed. There was the piece of paper Soubi had put on it, but it was covered with blood. Fresh blood. It was still soaking through the paper. Ritsuka jumped after a minute and stood up. He picked his cell phone from up off his desk and dialed the number Haneim had given him earlier.

**Ring-ring**

**Ring-ring**

**Ring-ring**

No answer. Ritsuka cursed himself for believing that Haneim would answer at this hour in morning. He threw the phone on his desk again and walked down into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him. He frowned. He hadn't heard from his mom for awhile. He searched the house, but couldn't find her anywhere.

Ritsuka frowned even more when he realized he hadn't had an answer for going into the kitchen anyway, and he walked back up to his room. He grabbed his phone again and pressed redial. This time, Haneim answered on the second ring.

"Hello, who is this?" Haneim said over the phone.

"This is Aoyagi Ritsuka," Ritsuka said, feeling funny that he was saying that.

"Oh, hi!"

"Um, I have a few problems over here,"

"Do you need me to come over?"

"If it wouldn't...er...bug you," Ritsuka was trying his hardest to sound nice, or something, but was having more failure at trying than not.

"Okay, I'll come over. Just give me the address,"

Ritsuka gave him the address and hung up. He flopped onto his bed and sighed. Thoughts ran through his head at millions of miles per hour until he saw Haneim come up to his house. He went downstairs and let him in, a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Hello, Ritsuka. How are you feeling?" Haneim tried to make friendly conversation with an impossible client. After a few minutes, he gave up and said, "Well, what's wrong?"

Ritsuka whirled around on that and spewed, "My mom's gone missing and she's suicidal, my friend passed out on me when I woke up, and there's blood in a box that is way lighter than it was yesterday sitting on my bed! What's wrong! What's wrong! My whole damn life is wrong right now!"

"Are you sure you're okay? You aren't acting normal today, Ritsuka," Haneim was trying to keep his cool. Ritsuka sighed heavily and motioned for Haneim to follow him.

When the two reached Ritsuka's room, Haneim walked over to Soubi and put his hand across the back of Soubi's neck. After a minute, he said, "He'll be alright. Don't worry about him, okay? Just lie him down on your bed for a few hours and he'll be fine. Now, where's that box you wanted me to look at?" Haneim stood up and went over to Ritsuka, his hand outstretched and waiting patiently for the box.

"Here," Ritsuka tossed the box with slight disgust into Haneim's waiting hand.

Haneim studied the box for a few moments and then said, "You might want to take this to the police."

"Anyway, I can't find my mom. Any ideas?" Ritsuka stumbled over his words.

"Well, first we should tell the police,"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Ritsuka cried.

"Okay. Then let's go look around town first," Haneim reasoned. Ritsuka nodded. Haneim walked over to Soubi and lifted him out of the chair. He half-carried, half-dragged Soubi to the bed and laid him down, propping his head on a pillow. Haneim walked over to Ritsuka and they walked out.

What the two, physically healthy boys didn't notice was that Soubi hadn't really passed out. It was just another one of those plans that passes behind his blue eyes and shows no hint. Soubi had pretended to faint just to see what Haneim would do. He had done exactly as Soubi had thought. _So, _Soubi thought, _I suppose I am right. Damn Haneim. Damn him! _Soubi was tempted to jump out of bed and run after the two, but couldn't. He didn't dare think of what Haneim would do to his poor Ritsuka while he was out and about searching high and low for his mother. _He must've been the one I heard this morning. I bet he was the one who tricked Ritsuka's mother out of the house. _Soubi had an idea of what had happened, but he couldn't prove it. He thought that Haneim had tricked Ritsuka's mother out of the house so he could get to Ritsuka. The only reason he wanted to get to Ritsuka was because he loved him. Haneim loved Soubi's poor, cat-eared, lovable Ritsuka! Soubi shook his head to clear the thought. Big mistake. His neck ached and throbbed with every thought he even made. He closed his eyes for a minute, and then sat up. Soubi had decided to go find the two and confront them both. It wasn't just Haneim that he and Ritsuka were lying to about their relationship, it was each other.

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**Okay. There's Chapter 6 for you. Maybe I can stretch this to 666 chapters, but that's a lot... Well, there is one that's over 100 chapters right now that I read... Oh, well. I won't do that to you. I'll just go where my imagination flows. "Reading Rainboooowwwww" **

**Oh, and this story still is and forever will be dedicated to my truest idol and fan, JazzyKnickers.** **Thank you oh-so-much for being there for me and helping me along the way. Not to mention all the inspiration and adopting of my stories you did, too. Heh heh. Well, anyway... Enough freaky dedication stuff...**

**Another note!! This story will probably later on be posted on AFF. I will let you know when and if it is posted. Thank you for reading! Now press that GO GO GO Go Diego Go button, okie-dokes?**


	7. 7::Time To Investigate

**Let's investigate, shall we? Thanks to... almost no one. But I don't think I've ever posted this quickly in my entire life. I'm only half-way through Chappie 9 and I need to fool around with Chappie 8, so it may be a day or two... or three... before I post again, but it'll be worth it.**

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Chapter 7 

Ritsuka turned around what must've been the millionth time. He could swear he heard someone walking behind him, but there never was anyone back there.

Haneim chuckled and said, "Feeling a little jumpy, dear Ritsuka?"

Ritsuka's violet eyes darted to Haneim's face and immediately widened. He had seen that look before. But where? As Ritsuka pondered this thought, Soubi kept watching the two behind them. He had also seen the look on Haneim's face, but he had seen the one on Ritsuka's, too.

"Ritsuka?" Ritsuka jumped back to reality at the sound of Haneim's voice, and he shook his head vigorously, as if to get the awful thoughts out of his head, which was what he probably was doing.

"Okay, then, Ritsuka, just checking." Haneim rolled the young boy's name around in his mouth, pretending he could get at least a little bit of pleasure by just doing that.

"Maybe," Ritsuka said slowly. "Maybe we should just go back to my house for the night. Uh... Soubi might need help with something..."

"It's okay, Ritsuka. He'll be fine. Soubi," Haneim almost spit the blonde's name, "will be just fine."

"I want to go check on him anyway!" With that last parting statement, Ritsuka whirled around and ran off in the direction of his house. Meanwhile, Haneim stood around shocked, and Soubi walked confidently (yet somewhat wobbly) up to Haneim.

"Well, look who's out of the mental institution." Haneim said. "I could report you. I'm on retainer with the police, you know. And.He's.Mine." He glared at Soubi, trying to get the other man to back down.

"I'd go to jail for Ritsuka. I'd _die_ for Ritsuka. And.He's.Not.Yours." Soubi was still a little wobbly, but his eyes would never show it. "I used to think he was mine. But he's no ones'."

"That, you little nuisance, is where you're wrong. That sweet little cretin that we both like happens to be mine." Haneim pulled the front of his shirt up, revealing the scabby word, **Loveless**. Soubi's mouth dropped slightly and he tried to think of a reply, but instead found his feet dragging him to Ritsuka's house.

Ritsuka was in his room. He had given up trying to find Soubi, and at the moment, Soubi was the only thing he wanted. Ritsuka was thinking about that, how Soubi always showed up at the worst moments and never showed up when Ritsuka wanted him to, when his door opened and in tripped Soubi. Ritsuka jumped up. "Soubi!"

Soubi said nothing. He had passed out on the floor. Ritsuka walked over to him and noticed that Soubi's hand was shut tight. He pried the painter's long fingers back, and a small, blue butterfly dropped slowly, silently to the ground. A piece of paper was taped to one of it's wings that said in small, black calligraphy:

**This blue symbol of death represents oh so many things to you, Ritsuka, doesn't it? I hope it makes you sick!**

Ritsuka ripped the piece of paper off, taking the wing with it, and threw it as far and hard as he could behind him. _That wasn't from Soubi,_ Ritsuka thought, sure of himself. _that was from that bastard, Haneim._

Ritsuka dragged Soubi gently over to his bed and placed the man on his bed. He sat down in his chair and sighed.

Haneim was walking off to nowhere in particular. He was just walking, thinking, and sighing. He knew he shouldn't have shown Soubi his secret. Haneim wanted so badly to be Ritsuka's fighter!! He knew he would get punished for pretending to be Loveless, but he didn't really care. _If Ritsuka believes what Soubi tells him, then Ritsuka will come to me!_ Haneim thought, unaware that Ritsuka didn't love Soubi only because of their Fighter-Sacrifice relationship. He didn't know that Ritsuka would never, ever leave Soubi.

Haneim looked up. A tall man in a midnight blue trench coat and a black top hat was walking towards him. As the two approached, the mysterious man held out a card. Haneim nodded and hugged the man.

"I'm so sorry to have to do this to you, Haneim, but it's my job," the tall man said.

"I...I know."

"I love you."

"I know. Just...Just get it over with!"

"Alright..." The taller man sighed and pulled something sharp out of his pocket, being careful not to let anyone else to see.

* * *

**Hopefully that was enough of a cliff-hanger. But the next chapter will annoy the crap out of you. I know, I know, it's weird. And it's going to get even _weirder. _But the people who _really _know me well will say it's nothing compared to my rough drafts of other stories. Keh heh heh heh... -insert evil grin and laugh of choice here-**


	8. 8::Now Who's Going Too Fast?

**Okay, here is my one, little, ONLY lackey's newest Chapter 8. It's hot off the typewriter and I only skimmed it once. So let me know how it is, a'ight?**

* * *

Chapter 8

_He was in a park. It looked so...familiar... It seemed like he'd been here before. But he hadn't._

_Had he?_

_No, surely not. He couldn't have. He'd remember that knot in the tree behind him._

_Wait._

_Behind him? How'd he know that?_

_Hmm... Maybe he had been here before. But he _hadn't. _He just hadn't. And what was up with that butterfly???_

Soubi jerked up; sweat was dripping down his forehead in little beads. It was just another dream. Yeah, right. That'll happen sooner or later, but that's not what happened tonight. Soubi's breath was coming in shaky, shallow pants.

And where in the world was he? Soubi's crystal blue-grey orbs scanned his surroundings as the obvious struck him. He was still at Ritsuka's house. Yes, that was it. He sighed as he remembered the previous events.

Ritsuka walked in while Soubi thought deeply about the previous day. The cat-eared boy silently crept over to his chair and sat, watching the blonde man think. He eventually fell asleep.

To his dismay, Soubi, too, fell asleep. If only he had stayed up a little bit longer, he would have seen an unwanted visitor sneak in.

(And that is where soubi202 stopped. It would have been the end of the chapter if it wasn't so short. So, yeah. From this point on, it's my writing, for the most part. I'm trying to keep it as close to soubi202's type as I can. I try, I swear! So, on with the rest!)

"No! Let go of me!" Ritsuka cried out, as Haneim's fist smashed up against the small, round pieces of bone that were already protruding through his lips in an awkward fashion from previous blows.

A sharp, raspy sound came from Haneim's throat, supposedly a laugh. "What are you going to do if I don't let go of you?" His foot came up and kicked Ritsuka in the shin, causing the small boy to fall over. He screamed. Screamed as loud as he could.

His screamed echoed throughout the dungeon he had found himself in. It echoed off the walls. The boy was screaming for help. But a different kind of help. The only help he really ever knew, but one he didn't always trust. "Sou--bi!!"

Ritsuka's screams echoed off of the cold, stone walls and bounced right back at him. It was never going to work, and he knew it. But that might not be the case... Maybe, just maybe Soubi would come...

Soubi's eyes fluttered open, but quickly widened at the sight that befelled him. The window was now on the floor in shards of crystal colour, and the balcony was covered in blood. The one thing that had Soubi shocked was the wall. Written in blood, "He Shall Be Mine" was colouring the wall.

"Bastard!" Soubi said aloud, as he stood up, ignoring all aches in his battered body. He climbed out through his usual entrance and bounded towards… _Wait…_ Soubi realized, _I have no clue as to where he took Ritsuka._ He leaned against a near tree, heart pounding, but not as loud as his thoughts.

Ritsuka woke up in a cold sweat, his hair sticking to his face and his head pounding. "Ow…" he murmured. He looked around, and found himself in a large room. The walls had curtains of dark carnation pink spilling down them. There were no windows, only a bed and large standing mirror in front of the bed that was rimmed with an ornate gold frame, the floor being a golden tile ocean. The bed was quite large and had dark pink silk covers and gold pillowcases covering the softest of fluffy pillows. Ritsuka tried to sit up, but something was tugging on his neck. He touched it carefully, and found a loose gold chain hanging around his neck, that had a golden chain connected to the bedpost. He looked up and found a dark pink silk canopy over the bed.

Ristuka was dressed in only a pale pink silk robe, tied with a golden silk lace around his waist.

Ritsuka covered his face with his small hands and shook silently with sobs. _How did this happen to me? Where am I? What happened? Where… Where's Soubi?!?_

He looked up as he heard a soft **click**. Haneim was standing in front of him, dressed in a double of Ritsuka's robe. He held a malicious grin on his face as he stepped closer and closer to the bed Ritsuka lay in. Ritsuka's face showed nothing but horror.

Haneim slowly tugged at one end of the tie, which soon slipped off the robe and slithered to the floor. Ritsuka backed up, but could barely make it even a foot due to the chain's length. The older man crawled on the bed, inching closer and closer to the young boy. He grabbed Ritsuka's arms and flipped him over so his face was almost shoved into the bed.

Haneim straddled Ritsuka down as he pressed on one of the links on the chain, which clinked open and off of the small neck it had been holding hostage. His hands reached under the other's hips, making Ritsuka gasp slightly. He undid the tie, and used it to tie together Ritsuka's hands with some refusal from the other, of course. He pulled down the robe off of the wriggling boy's shoulders and soon had it pulled off, which he then threw over the side of the bed. He slipped his own arms out of the robe he had on, and pulled it off as well, tossing it aside.

Haneim flipped Ritsuka back over and shoved his mouth on Ritsuka's as his hand slipped between the two, rubbing the young boy's length up and down, his cold hands causing the other to stiffen. He shoved his fingers up the other, causing the young boy to open his mouth for a scream. Haneim took this as a chance to deepen the kiss, his tongue reaching down the cat-eared boy's throat.

Haneim leaned back, breathing heavily from the kiss. Ritsuka's eyes were wide as he fell back onto the boy, licking up and down Ritsuka's neck, and then returning to each spot with his teeth, biting roughly on each smooth area, leaving a dark mark when he left it.

Haneim ran wet kisses down Ritsuka's chest and stomach, then made his way down to the other's manhood. He swirled his tongue around Ritsuka, who soon gasped as he was engulfed by a hot, wet mouth.

_I… I don't want this to happen…_ Ritsuka thought _But… But I can't help… but to… love it…_

Ritsuka arched upward, his hips automatically moving along with the other man's tongue movements.

(And, thank God, soubi202 is back! Yae! Okay, you all can go do whatever you do when you aren't paying attention, but from now on and hopefully forever it's soubi202 again)

_It's just so good… It's… No, I only want…_ "Soubi!!" Ritsuka screamed as Haneim shoved three fingers up the young boy's ass.

"You wish for your lover boy, Ritsuka, is that it? Or would you rather just imagine it was _him_ doing this to you?" Haneim hissed with envy and anger solidly noticeable in his voice. Ritsuka was too shaken up to think, must less talk. _This could never happen to me… Seimei… Seimei should be here to help me! To make this go away! No, no, no! I don't even know who_ I _am anymore!_

Soubi was panting, sweat dripping down from all over his body, and his eyes were fluttering shut as he tried to keep from passing out. He had been running for so long now almost without a clue of where to go. His only lead was the paper Ritsuka had been given earlier. There was almost nothing on it, though. No clue, not even an idea did Soubi find or think of. _Oh, no. My Ritsuka… What is that no-good bastard_ doing _to him?! I must find him. No, I will not lose another love of mine! _He had no destination, only the urgent feelings in his mind and heart. Happiness, sunshine, and rainbows… They meant nothing anymore; not like they ever really had. For now, though, he had to believe in them.

_Happiness? Sunshine? Rainbows? Haneim is frightening…_ Ritsuka thought to himself, still yelling for help and screaming from the in pain. Haneim was biting harshly on Ritsuka's manhood, and living off of the screams from the boy. It entertained him to see that the sacrifice was still a virgin; obvious from the throbbing erection Ritsuka had. No virgin could handle Haneim, and he enjoyed the moan-filled screams. They couldn't help it. They couldn't do _anything_. Their fighters were as good as dead by now. Especially if they saw their Sacrifices this way.

There was a **thud** on the door. Ritsuka's ears twitched. Haneim jumped up. There was another **thud**, followed by another, and another, and it kept at a steady pace for over a minute. Haneim was about to ignore it when he hard a sharp, clipped noise as the lock broke on the door, and it came crumbling down loudly into a **bang** as it finally settled on the floor. Chips from the old, wooden door and dust from the outside hallway mixed together, creating a mist. Ritsuka's eyes were wide now, but had been paying no attention to the gun clicking next to him.

"Who's there?!" Haneim demanded hoarsely. He didn't bother putting his robe back on, or even covering his obvious "problem". The mist faded, leaving a slack-jawed Ritsuka and a growling Haneim.

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**We all know who it is. So just pretend like it's a good cliffie and I'll leave you at that.**


	9. 9::Looking Into The Truth

**Sorry about the wait... I had to have surgery, so it's not that easy to sit in a chair all night working on a story.**

**Hoping you enjoy.**

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Chapter 9

**Previously**

Soubi knew he would pass out soon if he didn't rest. But that was of no matter to him. The pain throbbing through his entire whole convinced him otherwise. _There's no way I can stop him in this condition. I must rest…_ Soubi thought reluctantly, his grey orbs swirling with fear and pain. Agony. Resting against a near-by street pole, he closed his eyes and laid his cold fingers against his stitches. After a few minutes, Soubi regained his composure and energy for his love, and started running again, this time with an idea.

Soubi reached his destination, an old, Columbian-style house with rickety shutters and flapping roof tiles. Soubi shook his head in disgust as he opened the unlocked front door. Wandering around in filthy, dusty hallways, he listened intently for any sound.

The hallways were cold and uninviting. There were half-burned flags hanging off the ceiling, which was covered in pictures of young men being raped by men 20 to at least 40 years older than them. Soubi grunted at them and the pictures of medieval torture to young children, almost toddlers, on the walls. Even the brick walls were irritating. How could such men stand these hallways? It disgusted Soubi to the point of almost destroying the whole house, and the dungeon he was in beneath it. If it weren't for Ritsuka, he certainly would have.

"No! I don't-" A voice behind a near door was muffled by a gag. Soubi flinched and walked even faster. _Sickening…_

Soubi stopped dead in his tracks. "Soubi!!!" _It's Ritsuka!!_ Soubi ran towards to voice and slammed himself against the door that Ritsuka was behind. Soubi knew it wouldn't work like that, but he kept trying, over and over, until finally he concentrated and kicked the lock, snapping it and causing the door to fall down.

Back to now 

"Soubi!" Ritsuka jumped off the bed but was snagged by the chains that were still attached to him. "Dammit," Ritsuka cursed quietly.

"Shut up, slave!" Haneim yelled at Ritsuka, still staring at Soubi. Ritsuka turned his attention to Haneim and noticed the gun.

"Soubi! Watch out, he has-"

"I know, Ritsuka. Shush," Soubi said softly. Ritsuka sighed and nodded.

"Just don't die on me!" Ritsuka shouted, his eyes filling up with tears. Soubi grinned.

"Is that an order, Ritsuka?" Soubi said quietly. Ritsuka smiled slowly and nodded.

"Both of you be quiet!!" Haneim screamed, his voice still hoarse. Soubi smiled softly at Ritsuka before turning his attention back to Haneim. Soubi walked slowly towards the man with a menacing glare.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll shoot you," Haneim growled.

"You can't touch me, Haneim," Soubi said, his voice just above a whisper.

"Of course I can!!" Haneim screeched.

"Right," Soubi grinned. Ristuka moved away from Haneim and his fighter slowly.

"Beloved my ass, you freak!!" Haneim was fidgeting, and his eyes were bouncing back and forth. Soubi motioned for Haneim to try and hurt him. Haneim stopped dead in his tracks as he heard a familiar voice.

"Haneim!" it yelled. Haneim's eyes dilated and he darted to the corner. Soubi smiled. Ritsuka sat on the bed, staring.

"J-Jorj?" Haneim whimpered. A tall man in a leather suit walked through the door. Dark-skinned with long, strawberry blonde hair walked in.

"What in God's name are you doing, Haneim?" Jorj said. Haneim was white as paper. "Haneim! I asked you a question."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Haneim muttered.

Soubi walked over to Jorj, who handed him a key, and went over to Ritsuka to undo the chains. The small clicks of the chain falling off made Ritsuka shudder. Soubi picked him up and walked out of the door. The two didn't talk as they walked to Soubi's apartment.

Haneim was shivering from the cold in between his screams of pain. He cursed under his breath, but received another gash.

"That's what you get, you whore," Jorj growled. "I said you're mine! Don't you get that yet, you disgusting, sadistic pedophile?!"

Soubi was the first to have his legs buckle under him. The two were just inside Soubi's door before collapsing. Kio was there, and he quickly ran to the two, helping them up and into one of the bed. Kio rubbed Vaseline on Ritsuka's wrists and neck before hopping over to Soubi and wrapping gauze around the fighter's neck.

"You two better have learned your lessons," he growled. He walked back to the computer where he was playing a simple game.

"Ritsuka," Soubi said.

"What is it, Soubi?" Ritsuka turned his head towards Soubi. Kio turned around and glared at the two.

"Ritsuka," Soubi said in a whisper. "Will you let me hold you? Just for tonight?" Ritsuka smiled softly. Soubi kissed his forehead and wrapped his arms around the sacrifice. They both fell asleep wrapped in each others' arms.

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**It was a bit of a fluffy ending, and I think it came out good. Review, please.**


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